It occurred to me that if we went one night close to the town and sent a man in to discuss with the Khwāja[630] and notables, they might perhaps let us in somewhere. With this idea we rode out from Aūsh. By midnight we were opposite Forty-daughters (Chihil-dukhterān) 2 miles (one _kuroh_) from Andijān. From that place we sent Qaṃbar-`alī Beg forward, with some other begs, who were to discuss matters with the Khwāja after by some means or other getting a man into the fort. While waiting for their return, we sat on our horses, some of us patiently humped up, some wrapt away in dream, when suddenly, at about the third watch, there rose a war-cry[631] and a sound of drums. Sleepy and startled, ignorant whether the foe was many or few, my men, without looking to one another, took each his own road and turned for flight. There was no time for me to get at them; I went straight for the enemy. Only Mīr Shāh _Qūchīn_ and Bābā Sher-zād (Tiger-whelp) and Nāṣir's Dost sprang forward; we four excepted, every man set his face for flight. I had gone a little way forward, when the enemy rode rapidly up, flung out his war-cry and poured arrows on us. One man, on a horse with a starred forehead,[632] came close to me; I shot at it; it rolled over and died. They made a little as if to retire. The three [Sidenote: Fol. 105.] with me said, 'In this darkness it is not certain whether they are many or few; all our men have gone off; what harm could we four do them? Fighting must be when we have overtaken our run-aways and rallied them.' Off we hurried, got up with our men and beat and horse-whipped some of them, but, do what we would, they would not make a stand. Back the four of us went to shoot arrows at the foe. They drew a little back but when, after a discharge or two, they saw we were not more than three or four, they busied themselves in chasing and unhorsing my men. I went three or four times to try to rally my men but all in vain! They were not to be brought to order. Back I went with my three and kept the foe in check with our arrows. They pursued us two or three _kuroh_ (4-6 m.), as far as the rising ground opposite Kharābūk and Pashāmūn. There we met Muḥ. `Alī _Mubashir_. Said I, 'They are only few; let us stop and put our horses at them.' So we did. When we got up to them, they stood still.[633] Our scattered braves gathered in from this side and that, but several very serviceable men, scattering in this attack, went right away to Aūsh.